Consumers are constantly bombarded with messages from multiple brands, across numerous channels; increasingly few messages get through and activated upon. This is a huge challenge for brand marketing.

The reality is that customers have preferences in terms of messaging channels used, depending on the content of communication, but few brands use this to inform their marketing strategy. Information about these preferences can be simply obtained and the insights they generate pave the way for better engagement. In fact, many brands already have access to a vast swathe of detailed data on their customers but simply don’t use this to their benefit.

Uncovering these preferences enables brands to find appropriate messaging tools that give customers the experience they are looking for. Location-based or in-app push messages, social media, voice, chat apps and SMS, are just a few highly effective – much underused - channels for reaching consumers. They allow brands to leverage data, set themselves apart from competitors and – crucially – to give their customers the kind of simple, clear valueadding communication that will create loyalty, engagement and results.